Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-09-15

The captain evidently had plan of
MS own. and as soon as day had fully
lighted up the scene he took prompt
measures for putting his scheme to the
test We heard him give an order to
the engineer, and then, before any of
us could anticipate what would follow,
we found the Muravieff moving for
ward at full speed in the direction of
the ice-barrier. A few moments later a
loud crash was heard. as the steamer,
shivering from stem to stern, buried
herself in the obstruction. The en-
gines were at once reversed, and the
Muravieff retreated slowly from the
cavity which her hull had left in the
ice-field; but. on reaching her former
position she once more advanced to
the attack, these movements being
again and again repeated. At first it
had seemed the captains purpose to
force his way through the barrier-a
plan which, had it been entertained,
would have abundantly deserved the
epithet of foolhardy. Gradually we
became aware of the more reasonable
elements of the method of action re-
solved upon. In the first place. be it
said, the Muravieff was in no danger;
iron-sided, otherwise strongly built,
she had nothing to fear from rough
usage. Her battery of the ice-barrier,
moreover. contemplated something
much more easy of accomplishment
than a downright destruction of the
obstacle by dint of repeated blows. Ii
was at least probable that. with fresh
masses pressing against the upper side
of the field, the ice might start, leav-
ing the bend once again clear; and
what would be more likely to aid such
a movement than series of persistent
taps from the Prov of the Muravieff.
The day grew slowly to noon, the
afternoon succeeded; at shutdown we
were still struggling with our foe in
front. Slice after slice had bee n cut
from the ice mass, now to right and
now to left; slice after slice, separated
from the bank by the broad hull of the
steamer. had first fingered near us,
and then gone down with the lazy cur
rent southwark; but after a days
work the block was rs immovable as
ever. while the Muravieff, Judging by
marks on shore, had not advanced
sensibly from her first position. A
night of rest followed, and then the
Muravief resumed her attack upon the
barrier Before noon compan-
ion steamer, also laden heavi-
ly with merchandise, reached the
scene of the block. and was
for some time enabled to
aid us, though but feebly, in our efforts
to push forward. In the afternoon we
had succeeded in reaching a patch of
extremely thin ice, near the right bank
of the river, and there found CO mpara-
lively easy pro gress for a quarter of a
mile. Then came the barrier again,
more formidable than ever. Night at
last fell redly, threatening new
troubles, above all prophesying the |
direst enemy that we had encountered
yet.
On the morning of the third day |
rose just before sunrise, and found the !
scene transformed. The thermometer
had fallen ten degrees; the Muravieff |
lay motionless, frozen to the barrier. of ,
whic h she had now become almost part |
and parcel; all around, every thing not
living, was stiff and stark. The nat
ural desolateness of the spectacle had
taken new and forbidding aspect in
the wan light and frosty air; right and
left long stretches of steppe joined |
their deserts of brown with the sullen
hues of the ice field, making a scape of
land and river that looked bare as if
swept by a hurricane. One seemed.
in fine, to be gazing on a petrified
world. timeless as well as motionless,
when all of a sudden bright ray shot
across the scene from the southeastern
horizon. A few minutes later round
red ball had climbed into sight, and
was tipping with fire some of the land
marks now so familiar to lis: the long.
low building with q tower, to our
right, not unlike church; the river
cliff above the bend in front; the bluff
f1anking the steppe-like plains on our
left.-Ednau,ad Nob'e. in atlantic.